In the Greenhouse
by Sweet Fallacy
Summary: -Maurice by EM Forster- During a stroll on the grounds, Maurice catches Alec and the maids stealing grapes in the greenhouse.


**In the Greenhouse**

"We shouldn't be in here. What if someone catches us?" Milly's cousin fretted, ineffectively tugging at Alec's elbow.

"It's all right. Everyone's busy getting ready for dinner. Besides, there's so many that no one'll really notice if a few grapes go missing," he said, bouncing one off her cheek. Alec grinned at her indignant glare and both girls attacked in retaliation. He fended off as many grapes as he could, but the maids pelted him from either side. Their attempts to stifle their mirth, on the other hand, were less than successful.

"Hush!" he whispered jokingly. "Someone might hear!"

"I know one way to keep you quiet," remarked Milly with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She grabbed a few grapes from the overhanging vines and shoved them in his mouth. He batted her hand away, but it didn't take long for all three to start force feeding one another. To make up for the girls' advantage in numbers, Alec chased each mouthful with a flurry of small kisses.

However, their antics were halted abruptly when they noticed one of the guests looking in at them. He was a tall, blond fellow dressed in black and white, probably out for a stroll until he had spotted them. Recognizing their spectator as none other than Mr. Hall, Alec's stomach plummeted to somewhere below his knees. They stood stock-still for a while, just looking at each other through the glass of the greenhouse. Though his face remained unreadable, it seemed to Alec that the gent's eyes were somehow both angry and gentle.

He opened his mouth, not sure what he should say, but before a word was uttered, Mr. Hall turned his back and walked away. Alec could only watch him leave, feeling a current of shame curdle inside. It was bad enough that he was hardly noticed by the gentleman as it was. What possible conclusions could he have reached, catching the gamekeeper stealing grapes and kisses in the greenhouse like that?

"Do you think he'll tell Mr. Durham?" inquired the cousin, her voice laced with a thread of worry.

"I doubt it," Milly replied.

"How can you sound so sure?"

"I daresay that Mr. Hall knows a thing or two about discretion," she sniffed in mild disdain. For a moment, genial Milly looked just as stuck up as their employer's bitch mother.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"When Mr. Durham came back from the university, he and Mr. Hall were..." Milly leaned in further, making it quite clear that she was imparting a scandalous secret, "...a great deal _closer_ than good friends ought to be."

"Mr. Hall and Mr. Durham?" Alec exclaimed, but his shock went unheeded as Milly's cousin talked right over him.

"Where did you hear that?"

"I didn't hear it, I saw them with my own eyes only last year. Simcox knows just as much."

"You didn't!" the cousin gasped, her hand flying up to cover her shock-slacked lips. "But Mr. Durham is _married_!"

"Well, he is _now_."

"If they're no longer..." the cousin paused, searching for words to put the matter delicately, "...like _that, _then how come Mr. Hall still comes around?"

"Perhaps _Mrs._ Durham doesn't mind sharing," Milly responded with a sly grin.

"Milly! You're horrible!"

Alec wasn't sure if he could keep his cool while the girls persisted in their gossip-mongering. Even if it were true about Mr. Durham and his friend, what right did they have to say such things? Mr. Hall had been nothing but pleasant and polite to everyone, as a true gentleman should. Why couldn't they show a little more respect for the man in return?

Feeling disgusted, Alec silently slipped away from the giggling maids. He just didn't feel up for company anymore, particularly those discussing the alleged love life of _any_ Durham. Not that he was jealous of the man, Mr. Durham is married after all. And if Mr. Hall spent a bit of time at Pendersleigh, what did it matter? It's not like he had a wife of his own to go home to. There probably wasn't anyone else at all.

Once outside, it became apparent that it would be getting dark soon with the rain clouds rolling in from the west. With a resigned sigh, Alec made his way back to the house.


End file.
